Framingham couple charged with threatening grandchildren

A Chinese couple threatened to kill their daughter’s children and burn down her house if she did not repay them for raising her after smuggling her into the United States two decades ago, authorities said.

A Chinese couple threatened to kill their daughter’s children and burn down her house if she did not repay them for raising her after smuggling her into the United States two decades ago, authorities said.

Yimei Chen, 57, and her husband, Yixi Pan, 60, who live with their daughter’s family at 1168 Concord St., were arrested Tuesday at 9:17 p.m. Another daughter, Xiu Pan, 33, was also arrested.

Chen and Pan’s daughter, a 36-year-old woman, called 911 around 9 p.m. and told police her father had slapped her and demanded $60,000, according to a police report filed in Framingham District Court yesterday.

In a restraining order hearing, the daughter told Judge James Barretto that she and her husband had already paid her father “at least $50,000 or $60,000,” but he wanted more. He said he wanted to be paid for smuggling her and her husband into the United States and to be reimbursed for raising her. He also wanted them to pay for the care he and his wife gave his daughter’s oldest son when they sent him to live with his grandparents in China.

“Yixi Pan demanded that she repay the money immediately,” the report said.

Pan then said he would kill the children and “after killing the children, he would kill the rest of the family and burn the house down,” the report said.

The mother, Chen, also threatened to kill the three children during the dispute, the report said.

She also said, “That the whole family would die together in the home,” the report said.

The sister, Xiu Pan, made similar threats, the report said.

Yesterday in Framingham District Court, prosecutor Sarah Affel asked to postpone the arraignment of Xiu Pan until today.

The alleged victim’s husband his in-laws would frequently threaten to call immigration on the couple if they did not give them money.

The daughter said her parents’ threats “were to be taken seriously and (they) were capable of completing the threat,” the report said.

Barretto granted the parents of the children, as well as the children, a restraining order, banning Chen and Yixi Pan from having any contact with them.

He also ordered Chen and Yixi Pan held without bail, pending a hearing today in Framingham District Court to determine if they are a danger to the public. Xiu Pan was released without bail and is due back in court today to be arraigned.

(Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date crime news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @norman_millerMW.)